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UK news and blog articles from The Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cecil-the-lion-empire-state-building_n_7921020.htmlLouise Ridleyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cecil-the-lion-empire-state-building_n_7921020.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 11:51:34 -0400Cecil the Lion has been projected onto the Empire State Building in New York, to raise awareness of endangered animals like Cecil, who was killed by American dentist Walter Palmer, sparking outrage around the world.

Cecil was among a range of animals projected onto the iconic building, including a tiger, eagle, whale and lizard, in a show which trilled spectators on Sunday evening.

The images of Cecil and other creatures covered 33 floors of the building in an eight-minute video loop, and could be seen for miles around.

Cecil's face in New York

The "Projecting Change on the Empire State Building" show was created by Louie Psihoyos, director of the Oscar-winning 2009 film "The Cove," which raised awareness of Japan's brutal dolphin-hunting industry. Psihoyos is also the founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society.

He's used the Empire State Building to send a message before: in 2011 the landmark was lit up in red to symbolize the blood of the dolphins in 'The Cove.'

It might actually be a normal-sized spider that is very close to the traffic camera.

But Traffic Scotland did not say this in the tweet.

The Huffington Post UK, for one, welcomes our new spider overlords. ]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cecil-the-lion-lion-king-spoof-the-retribution-of-cecil-walter-palmer_n_7920726.htmlLouise Ridleyhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cecil-the-lion-lion-king-spoof-the-retribution-of-cecil-walter-palmer_n_7920726.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 10:57:06 -0400The death of Cecil the Lion is still inspiring anger, and comedy, it would seem, after the well-know Zimbabwean lion was shot and killed by hunter Walter Palmer, a dentist from Minnesota.

Now, the Disney film The Lion King has had the spoof treatment in 'The Retribution of Cecil', a satirical look at the intense anger towards Palmer, which has included for calls for the dentist to be skinned and hung.

The comedy film 'trailer', from online video show So That Happened, sees a lion cub searching for answers after his father is killed.

When Pumba the warthog wonders why the lion cub is sad, Timon the meerkat tells him: "His dad was shot with an arrow by a dentist from Minnesota."

The video opens with the Disney logo revamped to read Walter Palmer instead of Walt Disney:

The lion cub sits on Cecil's back and asks sweetly: "We'll always be together, right?"

"No, we won't," Cecil replies grimly, "I'll be murdered by a dentist from Minnesota." Walter Palmer's face appears made out of stars in the sky, before Cecil says: "That's the dentist."

In a twist on the classic scene from the kids' film, the lion cub witnesses a vision of Cecil in the sky, telling him to avenge his death. "Board an airplane, fly to Minnesota, and rip that dentist's f***ing throat out".

"So come watch this lion rip that dentist's f***ing throat out," the narrator says, "as that world cheers on the public execution of another victim of the social media mob mentality."

An article in the Mail on Sunday has felt the need to highlight that some migrants being given three cooked meals a day, £35 in cash each week and are being put up in hotels as six dedicated immigration centres are already full.

Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke has been enlisted by the paper to sum up the outrage.

He said: "It is outrageous that asylum seekers are being put up in hotel rooms at public expense. It's this sort of soft touch that makes this country so attractive to migrants.

That Daily Mail article about Calais Migrants is vile sums up everything wrong with this country. £35 is nothing they can't even live on it

The article continues: "Both Sudanese men said their treatment in Britain was far better than in it had been France, providing a possible explanation as to why so many people are risking their lives trying to board cross-Channel trains."

Let's back it up right there.

Firstly, the alternative to three cooked meals a day is to let migrants starve. Is this really a viable alternative and one that would pacify the rage of Middle England?

Daily Mail find Migrants are taken by Mercedes Limos to the Fat Duck and given molecular cuisine by bespectacled twattery. #immigration

Secondly, £35 a week - £5 a day math fans - is nothing. And remember that migrants are forbidden to work to earn extra money while their asylum requests are processed meaning this is all they have to live on.

Thirdly, no disrespect but Best Western Park Hall hotel in Chorley is hardly the Ritz.

And finally, to address some of the points raised by Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke, what these migrants are being given hardly constitutes a 'soft-touch' but is more aptly described as the bare minimum a person needs to survive in a country that is fortunate enough to not be wracked with the kind of awful scenarios that would make its population risk everything to escape.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive enough to believe that amongst those seeking to gain entry to the UK there are absolutely none that are trying to play the system but we can't let those few sully the image of the majority of genuine asylum seekers.

The rhetoric around the current migrant crisis is one fuelled by fear and misinformation, all the more disgusting when it concerns some of the most vulnerable people on the planet.

Media reports like this do nothing but inflame bigotry and fear with the same old (false) arguments informing the debate.

"Why do they all want to come to the UK?"

"Isn' t the real reason that they know they'll get benefits as soon as they make it across the Channel?"

"Why don't they stay in their country and fight?"

These same questions surface time and time again and it is up to us a decent, intelligent individuals capable of feeling some empathy to question attitudes to migrants informed by facts not inflammatory headlines.

]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cilla-black-dead-paul-ogrady-tribute_n_7920556.htmlDaniel Welshhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cilla-black-dead-paul-ogrady-tribute_n_7920556.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 09:41:53 -0400Paul O’Grady has spoken about the sad death of his friend, Cilla Black.

As well as their friendship away from the spotlight, the pair appeared on screen together on numerous occasions, with Paul even presenting the retrospective show, ‘The One And Only Cilla Black’, which commemorated her 60th year in showbiz.

Paul O'Grady says he can't believe his friend has died, at the age of 72

They also infamously performed together at the Royal Variety Performance, alongside Babara Windsor, with Paul in character as his drag alter-ego, Lily Savage.

It comes as a raft of security improvements around the tunnel were agreed including extra private security guards, French police reinforcements, additional fences and more CCTV surveillance.

Migrants climb through a fence on to the tracks near the Eurotunnel site at Coquelles in Calais

"We are both clear: tackling this situation is the top priority for the UK and French governments. We are committed and determined to solve this, and to solve it together," Mrs May and Mr Cazeneuve wrote.

"What we are currently facing is a global migration crisis. This situation cannot be seen as an issue just for our two countries.

"It is a priority at both a European and international level. Many of those in Calais and attempting to cross the Channel have made their way there through Italy, Greece or other countries.

"That is why we are pushing other member states, and the whole of the EU, to address this problem at root."

They suggested that the long-term solution to the problem would be to persuade would-be migrants hoping for a better life in Europe that "our streets are not paved with gold".

The extra security measures were agreed following a phone conversation between David Cameron and President Francois Hollande on Friday, when the Prime Minister warned disruption at the French port town could go on all summer.

Labour have accused Mr Cameron of being slow to react to the chaos in Calais.

Acting leader Harriet Harman wrote to the PM urging him to demand compensation from France for hauliers, businesses and holidaymakers affected by the crisis. She said his action so far had been "devoid of any serious solution" and he should have been putting more pressure on Paris to get a grip on the situation.

"You have failed to initiate any diplomatic pressure on the French government to assess asylum claims and make sure proper immigration procedures are followed," she told the PM. "Instead you have chosen to inflame the situation with incendiary and divisive language, which will serve only to escalate the problem."

But a Downing Street spokesman said: "As the PM has said, playing a blame game is not going to offer a solution for anyone. What we are focused on is working closely with the French authorities and taking action to both boost security and reduce disruption for hauliers and businesses. We welcome the French police reinforcements, which have helped to strengthen security at Eurotunnel.

"We are already pursuing a comprehensive approach to tackling illegal migration into Europe; supporting rescue operations in the Med, disrupting trafficking gangs and working to stabilise the migrants' home countries."

"Significant" additional security measures agreed after talks between French and British officials which stretched late into the night following Mr Cameron's call to the president include:

:: A surge of extra private security guards, funded by the UK, to boost the existing 200-strong team and patrol the perimeter of the Eurotunnel site at Coquelles;

:: An increased presence of French police on the borders throughout the summer;

:: Additional fencing, funded by the UK, to be installed around as much of the Eurotunnel perimeter as required, with higher boundaries and extra layers where necessary and a large metal barrier to protect Eurotunnel platforms;

The Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is clear he wants to see more security and tougher action at the border, which is what the measures agreed with France overnight are all about. On top of that, we want to help those being affected by the disruption, including securing additional parking zones in Kent to reduce the impact on local residents and businesses.

"This is about a sustained focus on doing what is necessary to deal with this problem now and in the long run."

Options to relieve traffic back-ups on the M20 motorway under consideration by the Ministry of Defence and Department of Transport are understood to include the use of spare car parking space at Ebbsfleet railway station or the disused Marston airport, as well as increasing capacity on other ferry routes.

The M20 was reopened for normal traffic on Saturday evening after the last lorries being held under Operation Stack procedures were allowed through to the Channel Tunnel and ferry ports.

The operation had seen thousands of lorries parked on the coastbound carriageway for much of the last month.

Ms Harman quoted Freight Transport Association estimates that the crisis is costing hauliers £700,000 a day, while there are further costs for Kent businesses and residents and families trying to travel to the continent.

She told the PM: "It is wrong for UK businesses and families to face these costs given border security failures in France. Your discussions with the French government should therefore include a request for compensation backed up by any diplomatic pressure that may become necessary. Compensation should cover all losses." ]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cilla-black-dead-death-presenter_n_7920156.htmlDaniel Welshhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/cilla-black-dead-death-presenter_n_7920156.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 07:41:20 -0400Cilla Black has sadly died, at the age of 72.

A spokesperson for the Spanish police has confirmed that Cilla died overnight, while on holiday at her house in the Spanish Costa del Sol.

Cilla Black

She said: “I can confirm the death of British national Priscilla White, aged 72.

“We are still awaiting autopsy results but everything at this stage is pointing towards her death being the result of natural causes.”

Cilla’s career began in the 1960s, after rising to prominence as a singer, with a string of hit singles to her name, including ‘Alfie’, ‘Step Inside Love’ and ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, which came to be known as one of her signature songs.

Cilla in 1965

Over the years, she later made the break from the world of music to TV, fronting hit shows like ‘Surprise, Surprise’ and ‘Blind Date’, among others.

Cilla was married to her manager, Bobby Willis, for over 30 years, until he passed away in 1999, after suffering from lung cancer.

Together, she and Bobby had three sons, Robert, Ben and Jack.

More recently, a three-part TV biopic about the early days of Cilla’s career aired on ITV, with Sheridan Smith in the leading role, which eventually earned her a National Television Award for Best Drama Performance, as well as a TV Bafta nomination.

]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/bobbi-kristina-brown-funeral-service-atlanta_n_7919892.htmlDaniel Welshhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/bobbi-kristina-brown-funeral-service-atlanta_n_7919892.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 05:42:29 -0400Bobbi Kristina Brown gathered on Saturday, to pay their respects to the young star, who sadly died last month, at the age of 22.

She also suggested the feud between both sides of Bobbi Kristina’s family was showing no signs of quieting down, insisting: “It’s just getting started.”

A mourner holds up the order of service

It has been reported by TMZ that the service closed with the song ‘Jesus Loves Me’, performed by Whitney Houston, while Bobby posted a special message in the funeral’s order of service, which read: “I also will always love you.”

The wing flap, that was found on the Indian Ocean island Reunion, has arrived at a French military testing facility for analysis to to establish whether it comes from the Boeing 777 which disappeared on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

Another object that could be from the plane also washed up on a different part of the same island on Sunday, Sky News reported.

But this was later dismissed by a Malaysian official who said the item was not from the plane.

Aviation security expert Christophe Naudin on France's BFM-TV: "In the aeronautic community there is no (doubt) on the issue of what the debris belongs to. We are all convinced that it belongs to this flight (370).

He said only three 777s have crashed since 2013, adding: "One is in the United States, one in Ukraine, and this one in the Indian Ocean."

On Monday, an investigating judge will meet with Malaysian authorities and representatives of the French aviation investigative agency, known as the BEA.

Under a microscope and expert eyes, the wing fragment that washed up on the beach of the volcanic island could yield clues not just to its path through the Indian Ocean, but also to what happened to the airplane.

The wingflap washed ashore on Reunion Island

Analysts at the French aviation laboratory hope to glean details from metal stress to see what caused the flap to break off, spot explosive or other chemical traces, and study the sea life that made its home on the wing to pinpoint where it came from.

If the wing flap is confirmed to be from 370, it is the first sign of the plane that vanished without a trace. A multinational search effort that lasted months came up empty.

]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/coronation-street-jack-p-shepherd-fire-eyebrow_n_7919750.htmlDaniel Welshhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/coronation-street-jack-p-shepherd-fire-eyebrow_n_7919750.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 04:50:07 -0400‘Coronation Street’ bosses were said to be unimpressed with Jack P Shepherd, after he turned up to the show's set minus one of his eyebrows, following an unfortunate accident.

Clearly sensing that the photograph may have been a bit ill-advised, it quickly disappeared from his social media account, but not before eagle-eyed followers got the chance to screengrab it and share it online.

]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/one-direction-new-single-drag-me-down-zayn-malik_n_7919690.htmlDaniel Welshhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/one-direction-new-single-drag-me-down-zayn-malik_n_7919690.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 04:18:37 -0400Zayn Malik was bothered by his former One Direction bandmates stealing his thunder with their new single, he certainly wasn’t showing it.

The single has so far been well-received by critics, and topped the iTunes chart in a staggering 82 different countries since its surprise release on Friday, with even Zayn now chipping in to praise the track.

The four remaining members of 1D

Writing on his official Twitter page late on Saturday night, Zayn described ‘Drag Me Down’ as “sick”, adding: “Proud of my boys… big love.”

]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/olympic-medals-doping-claims_n_7919628.htmlJack Sommershttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/olympic-medals-doping-claims_n_7919628.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 04:06:50 -0400
It also suggests that at least 800 athletes - one in seven of those named in the files - have recorded blood-test results described by an expert as "highly suggestive of doping or at the very least abnormal", according to the Sunday Times.

Another allegation is that more than a third of the world's fastest times in endurance events were recorded by athletes whose tests have triggered suspicion.

The newspaper says it, along with the German broadcaster ARD/WDR, has had access to a database containing more than 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes and which it claims reveals "the extraordinary extent of cheating by athletes at the world's most prestigious events".

The data, which belongs to the IAAF but was released by a whistleblower, has been analysed by two leading anti-doping experts for the Sunday Times - scientist Robin Parisotto and exercise physiologist Michael Ashenden.

According to them, the leaked information reveals that more than a third of medals have been won in endurance events at the Olympics and world championships by athletes who have recorded suspicious tests.

The newspaper claims none of those medals has been taken away by the authorities.

It is also alleged that a top UK athlete is among seven Britons with "suspicious" blood scores, while 10 medals were won at the London 2012 Olympics by athletes who have reportedly recorded dubious test results.

Mr Parisotto said: "Never have I seen such an alarmingly abnormal set of blood values. So many athletes appear to have doped with impunity and it is damning that the IAAF appears to have idly sat by and let this happen."

Mr Ashenden was also critical of the IAAF, saying: "For the IAAF to have harvested millions of dollars from the broadcasting of athletics events around the world ... yet only devote a relative pittance of those funds towards anti-doping, when they could see the terrible truth of what lay beneath the surface, is ... a shameful betrayal of their primary duty to police their sport and to protect clean athletes." ]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/eastenders-spoiler-bobby-beale-cindy_n_7919640.htmlDaniel Welshhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/02/eastenders-spoiler-bobby-beale-cindy_n_7919640.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sun, 02 Aug 2015 03:39:52 -0400'EastEnders', you'd think youngster Bobby Beale might have worked out something was seriously wrong by now - but he hasn't.

While viewers and the Beale family know he's responsible for killing Lucy, the youngster has no idea that she died because he whacked her around the head with a jewelry box.

Now, following Max's arrest, Bobby is convinced Jake Wood's character it responsible, and Cindy catches him trying to get revenge, just about stopping him from putting a brick through the businessman's car window.

Bobby is about to throw a brick through Max Branning's window

An emotional Cindy struggles to keep the truth from Bobby - will she crumble and reveal his crime?

Viewers saw the Beale family resolve to protect the youngster back in February, after Jane revealed that he'd killed his sister.

Bobby and Cindy Beale

Peter left the Square, unable to cope with the grief, and Cindy has slowly grown apart from her family.

]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/matthew-reed/marking-a-landmark-day-_b_7909960.htmlMatthew Reedhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/matthew-reed/marking-a-landmark-day-_b_7909960.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sat, 01 Aug 2015 19:28:34 -0400
This new law, plus the Prime Minister's call for action to stop child trafficking from Vietnam, once again shines a light on a growing crime that all too often is missed or misunderstood.

Huge numbers of children are being trafficked, not just from Vietnam but from countries across Africa, Asia, Europe as well as within the UK. In 2013, the Government identified 2,744 trafficking cases - 604 were children. But it is known that the actual number is much higher..

Children are being forced into a range of horrific abuse, including sexual exploitation, domestic work and work in cannabis factories. We know from our work with these children that, despite increased awareness of this crime, too often they are not being correctly identified and instead are treated as criminals and sent to prison for the illegal work in which they were found.

The action that the Prime Minister has called for - cracking down on the trafficking of Vietnamese children by ordering big British businesses to set out annually what they are doing to stop slavery and human trafficking in their supply chains - is important, but it is not enough. The Government needs to take steps to make sure these children, once they are in the UK, are properly protected and supported as is promised by the Modern Slavery Act.

In 2014, the Government began piloting the use of independent guardians who act as champions for these children, helping them access the help they need and supporting them though the complex system they face. Although this marked a significant step forward in protecting some trafficked children in the UK, it is only for those who have been identified. Those who have not been recognised as victims of this crime cannot get this crucial support, despite their need, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

For the Modern Slavery Act to be effective at protecting all trafficked children and those at risk of this abuse, it is crucial that all children who find themselves alone in this country -- including many who are fleeing war and violence -- are assigned an independent legal guardian.

Without an adult to protect their interests, many risk abuse or face a hostile climate of suspicion and doubt. This denies them the help and protection they need. It is vital these children at risk of abuse or who have already been exploited are able recover in safety from the traumas they have suffered. ]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/01/mixed-reports-concerning-fate-of-cecil-the-lion-s-brother-jericho_n_7918470.htmlPAhttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/01/mixed-reports-concerning-fate-of-cecil-the-lion-s-brother-jericho_n_7918470.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK
Sat, 01 Aug 2015 17:14:30 -0400

Cecil the Lion's story was given a further twist following conflicting reports that his brother Jericho had been shot dead by poachers in Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force charity said in a Facebook post that it been informed that Cecil's brother had been shot dead at 4pm (3pm BST) in Hwange National Park.

But Brent Stapelkamp, a field researcher with Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) who is monitoring the cat, said that his collar data "suggests he is alive and well".

American dentist Walter Palmer, from Minnesota, sparked outrage around the world when he killed popular 13-year-old Cecil last month.

Palmer was previously described as an "elite hunter" in a 2009 New York Times article

Zimbabwean wildlife authorities announced that they had suspended the hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in an area favoured by hunters.

Bow and arrow hunts have also been suspended unless they are approved by the National Parks and Wildlife Authority's director.

The death of another lion in April is being investigated after the authority received information this week.

Zimbabwe is seeking Mr Palmer's extradition from the United States on illegal hunting charges.